Process of coloring or decorating paper for wall-coverings



(No Model.) 3 Sheets -Sheet 1 T. STRAHAN. PROCESS OF COLORING 0R DECORATING PAPER FOR WALL-GOVRRINGS. No. 430,707. PatentedLJune 24, 1890.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I T. STRAHAN. PROCESS OF COLORING 0R DECORATING PAPER FOR WALL GOVERINCW.

No. 430,707. Patented June 24, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. STRAHAN. PROCESS OF'GOLORING 0R DECORATING PAPEREOR WALL GOVERINGS.

No" 430,701. Patented June 24. 18 901 of the same.

UNrrED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS STRAl-IAN, or CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROCESS OF COLORI NG 0R DECORATING PAPER FOR WALk-QOVERINGS.

srncrrrcnrronromin as of Letters Application filed May 27, 1,889-

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that l, THOMAS STRAHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chelsea, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inthe Process of Coloring orDecorating Paper and other Fabrics for Wal1-Coverings and for other Purposes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a machine for coloring or decorating paper and other fabrics in accordance with my improved process. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine. a

Myinvention relates to a novel method of coloringor decorating papenanidother fab-l rics for covering 'walls' and for other purposes, whereby beautiful and artistic effects: 3 are produced in a simple and, inexpensive To this end my invention consists in projecting or discharging liquid or liquid colors in the formof spray or vapor by means of any suitable atomizing device against the surface of the paper or fabric to be decorated orcolored, the paper or fabric to be treated' being either white or colored, wet with water or a coating of color, or dry, and the liquid ejected being either a liquid color or a liquid which willchange by its chemical action the previous color of the paper or fabric or its coating, or alter the same by simple dilution, different effects being produced by so manipu lating the atomizer or atomizers employed as a to vary the quantity or direction of the discharge, or by partially or wholly interrupting the flow of the liquid from one or more of said atomizers, as hereinafter more particularly set forth, in carrying my invention into effect I pro-,-

vide an atomizingdeviceconsisting of any suitable numberof atomizers a (one ormore) ofany well-known construction, connected by means-of flexible pipes 5 with a suitable receptacle or receptacles 1), containing the liquid or liquids or liquid color or colors to be employed, said atomizer oratomizers being operated in a well-known 'manner by Patent No. 430,707, dated June 24, 1890.

Serial No. 312,312. -(No model.)

steam or air, as preferred, which is introduced into the pipe 0, to which the atomizers are attached, by means of a pipe (1 connected therewith and leading to the source of supis then carried or moved along, by means of of the downwardly-inclined nozzle or nozzles of the atomizing device at a suitable distance therefrom, receivingin its passage the liquid or liquid color discharged in the form' of spray or vapor from the said atomizing device, the said discharge of spray or vapor being made continuous or variable according to the effect to be produced. This movement of the paper is preferably accomplished by means of an apron Band roller 1), the apron B being that of an ordinary wallpaper-coating machine, which may be employed to coat the paper with color or wet the same before it reaches theatomizing device. 'The paper or fabric being treated may be either wet with water or other liquid, or dry, and may be either white or colored or coated with color, and the liquid discharged from the atomizer or atomizers may be either a liquid color orit may bea' liquid which will of the color of the coating the previous color of the paper or fabric or its coating.

If a uniformly-rainbowed c'fi'ect is desired, the jets of the nozzles of the atomizers a are made to play constantly on the paper or fabzles being so directed and the colors so selected for the difierent jets as to give a continuous .rainbowed effect. If, however, a clouded efiect is to be produced, it may be obtained by varying or interrupting the flowbf the color or liquid onto the paper from the receptacle or receptacles in which it is contained, which may be accomplished in any suitable mannerT-fOr instance, by means of stop-cocks f in the supply-pipes of the atomizers a,or by raising or lowering, by means of any suitable mechanism, the supply-tanks 1), into which -the colors or liquids flow "through pipes h from the close'd receptacles it above, which raising or lowering of the 'tanks b will increase or diminish the pressric as it passes in front of the same, the nozply. The paper or fabric A, in rolls or sheets,

any Suitable mechanism or otherwise, in front change by its chemical action or by dilution ure on the liquid supplied to the atomizing device, thus increasing or diminishing its flow.

Another method of producing a clouded effeet which I have found to answer well is by interrupting the jets by periodically interposing between the same and the paper or fabric A a suitable intercepting device, which will catch the color or liquid and prevent it from reaching the paper or fabric'at that particular point. This is accomplished by the employment of a series of targets or intercepters k, which are mounted on a frame Z, adapted to slide transversely in suitable bearings m, said frame being actuated by a cord '21, connected-with a lever 1), which is moved by a cam 7', Figs. 1 and 3, against the resistance of a weight 5, passing over a pulley and connected by means of a cord 10 to the opposite end of the sliding frame I. These targets are placed on the frame I at a short distance apart, as seen in Fig. 3, so as to leave spaces between the same through which the jets from the nozzles of the atomizers a reach the surface of the paper or fabric A, and thus, as the targets or intercepters kare reciprocated by the action of the cam and weight above described, the jets will be periodically interrupted, the spray which impinges on the inner sides of the targets 70 running down the surface of the sameinto a shallow pan or receptacle G beneath, from which ,it may be drawn off through a suitable discharge pipe or orifice, and in this manner the spray from each nozzle is alternately intercepted and allowed to play onto the surface of the paper or fabric, the targets being arranged in any. suitable manner to intercept one or more ofthe jets at one time, and permit the remaining jets to play onto the paper or fabric through the spaces between the said targets.

' A similar clouded effect can also be produced by a continuous movement of the atomizers a during the passage of the paper or fabric in front of the same, which movement can be produced by continuously reciprocating the pipe 0, to which the atomizers are attached. To accomplish this movement of the pipe, 0, the pipe dis provided with a swinging joint 15 below the apron B of the machine, and is connected above said joint 15 by means of arod 17 with an eccentric 16, which imparts the desired reciprocating motion to the pipe 0 and atomizers a connected therewith.

An imitation of granite'can be produced by causing the atomizers to. throw a spray so coarse as to produce, instead of a smooth color, a spattered effect, which, by'a proper selection of colors, can be made to closely imitate the various kinds of granite and other stone.

If desired, pulp in the process of being manufactured into paper or other fabric, or a.wall or other surface, may be colored or ornamented in the same manner as the paper or fabric above described without departing from the spirit of my invention, as my improved process can be employed to advantage in embellishing anysurface or substance to which it may be applicable, the atomizers being so arranged as to direct the spray or vapor onto the surface to be ornamented in such manner as to produce the desired effects.

An infinite variety of novel, beautiful, and

striking efiects, imitations of marble, stone, &c., can thus be easily and cheaply produced by the employment of atomizers as above described, it being merely necessary to vary the colors and manipulate the atomizers or periodically interrupt one or more of the jets of the same, as taste or fancy may dictate.

When used for wall-coverings, the decoration produced by my improved process as above described may, if desired, form the ground or surface, on which the design is ,afterward printed in the same manner as on ordinary grounded wall-paper.

What I claimas my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isj The herein-described process of coloring and decorating paper and other fabric, which consists in projecting or discharging liquid or liquid colors in the form of spray or vapor against the surface, of the paper or fabric to be treated by means of atomizer-s, and varying or changing the effect so produced by alternately interrupting one or more of the jets of spray at any desired point or points, substantially as set forth.

'Witness my hand this 24th day of May, A. D. 1889.

THOMAS STRAHAN.

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